Do I need a lawyer to Incorporate in Washington?

The short answer is no.
The state of Washington does not legally require a lawyer to form a
Washington Corporation.
more...

less...
The short answer is no.
The state of Washington does not legally require a lawyer to form a
Washington Corporation.

Our detailed Incorporation Information page may help you understand some
of the implications of forming a Washington Corporation.
However, if there is anything about Incorporating in Washington
that you're not sure about you should seek the advice of a competent Washington lawyer, a Washington accountant,
or both before you Incorporate in Washington.

Once you have made the decision to Incorporate in Washington, a Washington lawyer
can file your documents and act as a middle man for a few hundred dollars an hour; or you can use an online service provider like All Business Documents
to perform these services and save money that you can use in your new Washington Corporation.

Do I have to Reserve a Company Name before I Incorporate in Washington?

You are not legally required to reserve a Company Name for a new Washington Corporation before you submit your application to Incorporate in
Washington.
more...

less...
You are not legally required to reserve a Company Name for a new Washington Corporation before you submit your application to Incorporate in
Washington.

Whether or not you need to reserve a company name for your new Washington Corporation depends entirely on your business situation.
The Washington Secretary of State uses names on a first come first served basis.
So if you think that someone may snatch the Company Name that you have in mind, you may want to reserve that Washington Company Name.

What if the Washington Corporation Name I want is already taken?

If the Name you have chosen for your new Washington Corporation is already in use by a currently active
Washington Corporation or LLC, and you still want to use that Corporation Name, then you will have to register a DBA Name with the Washington Secretary of State. "DBA" is an abbreviation for "Doing Business As."

We verify that the Name you have chose for your new Washington Corporation is available before we submit
your Incorporation filing to the Washington Secretary of State.
If necessary we can register a DBA Name in Washington for you so that you can open your new Washington business as quickly as possible.

What do I have to do to Incorporate in Washington?

8 things you have to do in order to Incorporate in Washington.
1. Choose a name for your Washington Corporation
2. Select an official address and a Registered Agent for your Washington Corporation
3. Choose a Board of Directors for your Washington Corporation
4. Decide who will be Officers for your Washington Corporation
5. Determine how you want your Washington Corporation to be taxed
6. File Articles of Incorporation with the Washington Secretary of State
7. Get a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
8. Issue Stock Certificates to the Initial Shareholdersmore...

Your Washington Corporation name can identify the type of products and services your business will provide;
or it may be the name of the founder; or it can be a combination of the two or something else.

In any case, the Washington Corporation name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered Washington Corporation or other
business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of Washington.
Your Washington Corporation name must not imply that it was formed for a purpose other than that stated in your
Articles of Incorporation;
and your Washington Corporation name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.

The name of a Washington Corporation must include the word "Corporation" or
"Incorporated" or an abbreviation of one of these words.

It's important to choose a good name for your Washington Corporation because if you want to change it after you incorporate you
will have to file amended Articles of Incorporation with the Washington Secretary of State (and pay a fee).

We will:

Check to make sure that your Washington Corporation name is available

Make sure your Washington Corporation name conforms to state of Washington regulations

Reserve your Washington Corporation name with the Washington Secretary of State

2. Select an official address and a Registered Agent for your Washington Corporation

Every Washington Corporation must have an address that is physically located in the state of Washington.
This address is "registered" with the Washington Secretary of State.
The Registered Address is where official and legal correspondence can be delivered.

The individual or company that is registered with the state of Washington to receive all correspondence on behalf of the Washington
Corporation is called a "Registered Agent".
You may act as your own Registered Agent, however, many Washington Corporations hire a Registered Agent because they don't have a physical
address within the state of Washington or to provide a distinct level of privacy.

We can act as the official Registered Agent for your Washington Corporation.

3. Choose a Board of Directors for your Washington Corporation

All Washington Corporations are required to have a Board of Directors.
Directors are the people who will set policies for your Washington Corporation and manage the business and its resources.
In the majority of small corporations directors are the owners.
The Articles of Incorporation or Corporate Bylaws may define specific qualifications for Directors.

The Board of Directors is responsible for creating rules, approving budgets and distributing profits to shareholders.
One of the most important duties of the Board of Directors is electing Officers for your Washington Corporation.
The same person may be a Director and an Officer at the same time.
Directors need not be residents of the state of Washington or shareholders of the Washington Corporation unless the Articles of Incorporation
or Bylaws require it.

Normally Directors for your Washington Corporation are elected for a term of one year.
Elections are held at the annual meeting of Shareholders.
The Directors serve until the next annual Shareholders meeting.

4. Decide who will be Officers for your Washington Corporation

The Board of Directors elects Officers for your Washington Corporation in accordance with the Corporate Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation.
Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors of the Washington Corporation.
Officers handle the day to day operation of the Washington Corporation.

Unless specifically prohibited by the Corporate Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation, in a Washington Corporation
the same person may hold more than one Corporate Office at the same time.
However, there are certain legal affairs in which the same person cannot act in more than one capacity.

One Officer - usually the Secretary - is given responsibility for preparing Minutes of Directors and Shareholders meetings
and for authenticating records for the Washington Corporation.

5. Determine how you want your Washington Corporation to be taxed

There is no Corporate Income Tax in the state of Washington.
You may form an S Corporation in Washington.
S Corporations may "pass through" all corporate profits to the shareholders (owners) who then pay tax at their applicable
personal rate.
S Corporations do not pay any Washington Corporate Income Tax.

If you choose to be taxed as an S Corporation, we can prepare the S Corporation election form for your Washington Corporation and include it with
your Incorporation documents.

6. File Articles of Incorporation with the Washington Secretary of State

In order to form a Corporation in Washington you must file Articles of Incorporation with the Washington Secretary of State.
The Articles of Incorporation must include certain specific information about your Washington business. If the Articles do not conform exactly to state of Washington requirements they will be rejected.
You may subsequently amend the Articles of Incorporation for your Washington Corporation but you will have to pay a fee to the state of
Washington in order to make the changes official.

7. Get a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)

A Federal Employer Identification Number, also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, is used by the IRS to identify a
business entity.
An FEIN is like a Social Security Number for your Washington Corporation.
All Washington Corporations are required to have an FEIN.

We can obtain an FEIN for your Washington Corporation.

8. Issue Stock Certificates to the Initial Shareholders

Corporate stock is evidence of ownership of a Washington Corporation.
When you form your Washington Corporation, you will need to determine what type of stock and the number of shares of each type that
you want to authorize.
You do not have to sell the number of shares that are authorized.
Many small Washington Corporations hold 100% of the shares.

Stockholders in a Washington Corporation are entitled to voting rights or dividends of the Corporate profits or both.
Whoever owns over 50% of the stock of the Washington Corporation is able to make all Corporate business decisions.
Washington Corporations usually hold at least 51% of the corporate stock in order to retain control of the Washington Corporation.

What do I have to do after I form my Washington Corporation?

6 things you have to do after you Incorporate in Washington.
1. Conduct an initial Meeting of the Board of Directors and adopt Corporate Bylaws
2. Open a Business Bank Account in Washington for your WA Corporation
3. Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business
4. Hold Meetings of Shareholders and Directors of each year.
5. File the required Washington Corporation reports
6. Keep proper records of your Washington Corporation on filemore...

1. Conduct an initial Meeting of the Board of Directors and adopt Corporate Bylaws

The Board of Directors holds an initial meeting to elect Officers, authorize issuance of stock and adopt the Corporate Bylaws.
Bylaws are the internal rules of your Washington Corporation.
They are adopted by the Board of Directors and vary widely from Corporation to Corporation.
Commonly bylaws include the number of seats on the board of directors; how Directors are elected; how meetings of Directors and
Shareholders are to be conducted; what Officers the Washington Corporation will have and a description of each of their duties.

As your company grows over time, you may amend your bylaws as necessary.
Bylaws generally cannot be amended by the Board of Directors unilaterally.
A vote by the majority of Stockholders of the Washington Corporation is usually required to amend the Corporate Bylaws.
Bylaws may include any rules for managing the business and conducting corporate affairs.
Almost anything may be written into the Bylaws, however, the Bylaws must not be in violation of any federal or Washington law or
the Washington Corporation's Articles of Incorporation.
A copy of the Corporate Bylaws should be maintained at the Corporation's principal Washington office.

2. Open a Business Bank Account in Washington

It's very important that you have a separate business bank account for your Washington Corporation.
Mixing personal and business funds can get you in a lot of trouble with the tax man down the line.
It's a good idea to contact the bank before you open a business bank account.
Specific requirements vary from bank to bank.

3. Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business

We can research and prepare the necessary forms for your required business licenses and permits and include
them in your Washington Incorporation package.

Note that forming a Washington Corporation doesn't take the place of obtaining a business license, tax
registration certificate, or other required business permits.
A Washington Corporation merely creates an ownership structure that limits the owners' personal liability.
You may still need to take care of getting set up to do business with your local government.

Depending on the nature of the business and the location of your Washington Corporation you may need to get one or more city
business licenses or permits.
The business licenses or permits that are required for your Washington Corporation vary depending on your business activities
and the specific locations within the state of Washington in which you want to conduct business.

If your Washington Corporation will be selling products in Washington you may be required to obtain a Reseller's Permit from the appropriate
Washington state agency.
If your Washington Corporation will be selling products in Washington you will also be responsible for all applicable local and state of Washington
sales taxes if there are any.

4. Hold Meetings of Shareholders and Directors of each year.

Every Washington Corporation must hold corporate and shareholder meetings, at least annually, and must keep minutes of each meeting
on file.
A copy of the minutes is evidence that the meetings took place and includes all resolutions that were adopted.
The minutes of each meetings must be open for inspection by any Shareholder or Director.
This meeting requirement is often overlooked and comes into play when the Washington Corporation is challenged for any reason.
Keeping proper meeting minutes and documenting resolutions made and approved by the Directors is a formality that could save your
Washington Corporation a lot of potential trouble.

We can transcribe the minutes of any meeting of your Washington Corporation into a form that complies with all
state of Washington requirements.

5. File the required Washington Corporation reports

The Washington Secretary of State requires all new Washington Corporations to file an Initial Annual Report within 120 days of the date on which the WA Secretary of State approved the filing of the Washington Corporation.

Every Washington Corporation is required to file an Annual Report with the Washington Secretary of State EACH year.

The Washington Corporation Annual Report is due at the Washington Secretary of State EACH year by the end of the anniversary month in which the Washington Corporation was first approved by the Washington Secretary of State.

For example, if the Washington Corporation was initially approved by the Washington Secretary of State on April 15, then the Washington Corporation Annual Report is due at the WA Secretary of State by April 30 EACH year.

If a Washington Corporation does not file its Annual Report with the Washington Secretary of State by by the due date then that WA Corporation will be subject to late fees imposed by the Washington Secretary of State.

We can fill out and file your Initial Annual Report with the Washington Secretary of State and include confirmation of filing
with your Corporation documents.

We can fill out and file any Annual Report with the Washington Secretary of State after your Washington Business gets going.

6. Keep proper records of your Washington Corporation on file

Keep the following records on file and available at the principal business office of your Washington Corporation:

Names and addresses of all Directors and Officers of the Washington Corporation

Articles of Incorporation for the Washington Corporation and any Amendments to them

Corporate Bylaws for the Washington Corporation and any Amendments to them

List of current shareholders of the Washington Corporation.
If shareholders change, keep a record of old shareholders and how stock was transferred.

Minutes of all Meetings of Shareholders and Directors

Copies of any Corporate Resolutions which have been adopted by the Washington Corporation

Copies of all tax returns and Annual Reports for the Washington Corporation for the last 3 years

What information do I need in order to Incorporate in Washington?

In order to Incorporate in Washington you'll need certain specific information about your new Company
including the Corporation name and address; and Registered Agent information.more...

less...
In order to Incorporate in Washington you'll need the following information about your new Company:

The name of your new Washington Corporation along with your second choice of a name in case the name that you want is not available

Physical addess of the Corporation office in Washington (not a PO Box)

Name and address of your Washington Registered Agent (not a PO Box)

A description of the nature of the business you are planning to operate with the Washington Corporation

Names and addresses of the initial Directors of the Washington Corporation

The number of shares of stock that the Washington Corporation will be authorized to issue

Remember - ALL the information that you provide when you Incorporate in Washington becomes part of the public record.
Our data entry forms include the absolute minimum amount of information that is required in order to Form a new Corporation in Washington.

How long does it take to Incorporate in Washington?

Processing times for new Washington Corporation applications vary depending on the work load of the
Secretary of State's staff.
We've found that normal processing of new Washington Articles of Incorporation takes the state around 2-3 weeks.
Add 2-3 days for the time period for shipping the final documents by mail.
Choosing our Express Mail option can shave a couple of days off the total processing time for your Washington LLC.

We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the Washington Secretary of State.

In our experience 2-3 weeks is the time it usually takes the Washington Secretary of State to process
a new Washington Corporation application.
We get your Washington Corporation application to the WA Secretary of State ASAP.
Once it is at the state we have no control over the new Washington Corporation application process.

Are there any Expedited Processing Options for new WA Corporation Filings?

The Washington Secretary of State offers expedited processing for new Washington Corporation applications for an additional $20. With expedited filing the WA Secretary of State will process your Corporation application in 2-3 business days.

How much does it cost to Incorporate in Washington?

The state of Washington charges $200.00 to Incorporate in WA.
If you choose All Business Documemnts to help you Incorporate in Washington our processing fees are $125.00.
This includes:

Same day processing in of your new Washington Corporation order

WA Name Check and Reservation

Prepare Articles of Incorporation

File Articles of Incorporation with the Washington Secretary of State

Certified Copies of Articles

Washington Corporation Checklist

Priority Mail Delivery

Unlimited Customer Support

What is a Washington Professional Corporation?

Generally, if you are required to obtain some kind of license before you can market your skills in the state of Washington then you will
most likely need to form a Washington Professional Corporation.
more...

less...
Generally, if you are required to obtain some kind of license before you can market your skills in the state of Washington then you will
most likely need to form a Washington Professional Corporation.

Attorneys, architects, engineers, public accountants, nurses and physicians, among others, may require registration as a Professional
Corporation with the Washington Secretary of State.

Depending on exactly what it is that you want to do in Washington, approval from a specific Washington state agency or board may be required before the WA Secretary of State will approve a new
Washington Corporation filing.
This could add to the total processing time for a new Washington Corporation.

Washington Foreign Corporation Qualification

You want to do business in the state of Washington but are registered as a Domestic Corporation in another state.
In order to legally conduct business in the state of Washington you must register with the Washington Secretary of State as
a Washington Foreign Corporation. more...

less...
You want to do business in the state of Washington but are registered as a Domestic Corporation in another state.
In order to legally conduct business in the state of Washington you must register with the Washington Secretary of State as
a Washington Foreign Corporation.
The process of registering as a Foreign Corporation in the state of Washington is called Washington Corporation Foreign Qualification.

The process of Washington Corporation Foreign Qualification is similar to the process of forming a Domestic Corporation in the state of Washington.
Your original formation documents (usually called Articles of Incorporation) and Corporate Bylaws apply to your Washington Foreign Corporation.
The Board of Directors and Officers of your Domestic Corporation have the same roles in the Washington Foreign Corporation.

We will start processing your application for a new Washington Corporation on the same day that you submit your order.
We get your WA Corporation filing to the Washington Secretary of State as fast as possible.
Once they get the application, the WA Secretary of State usually takes 2-3 weeks to process a new Washington Corporation filing.

For an additional fee, the Washington Secretary of State offers expedited processing, explained below, which cuts down the time it takes for
the state to process a new Corporation application.

WA Name Check and Reservation

Prepare Articles of Incorporation

File Articles of Incorporation

Certified Copies of Articles

WA Corporation Checklist

Priority Mail Delivery

Unlimited Customer Support

ADDITIONAL WASHINGTONCORPORATION SERVICES

You may need these additional products and services:

check the box next to any option price will becalculated automatically

The Washington Secretary of State offers expedited processing for new Washington Corporation applications for an additional $20. With expedited filing the WA Secretary of State will process your Corporation application in 2-3 business days.

This is the time by which the Washington Secretary of State will either approve or deny the Incorporation application.
Washington Corporation applications must be received by the Secretary of State before noon Washington time for the process to start that day.

Another way to expedite your order is to choose the Express Mail option.
The Express Mail option can cut the document delivery time in half.

S Corporations are taxed differently than C Corporations.
With an S Corporation, business profits may be "passed through" directly to the shareholders.
This avoids the double tax on both corporate and shareholder profits.
S Corporations do not pay any Washington Corporate Income Tax.

We can prepare the S Corporation Election form for you and include it with your Incorporation documents.

The Washington Secretary of State requires all new Washington Corporations to file an Initial Annual Report within 120 days of the date on which the WA Secretary of State approved the filing of the Washington Corporation.

We will prepare and file your Annual Report with the Washington Secretary of State
and include filing confirmation with your Incorporation documents.

Every Washington Corporation is required to have an address within the state of Washington where
official and legal correspondence can be delivered.
The individual or company that is registered with the state of Washington to receive all correspondence
on behalf of the Corporation is called a Registered Agent.

You may act as your own Registered Agent, however, many Corporations hire a Registered Agent because they don't have a physical address within
Washington or to provide a distinct level of privacy.

We can act as your Washington Corporation Registered Agent.
This is an annual service.
We will forward all correspondence to you and will remind you when it is time to renew your WA Registered Agent services.

Bylaws are the rules by which your Washington Corporation must operate.
Every new Washington Corporation requires bylaws.
Almost anything may be written into the bylaws, however, the bylaws must not be in violation of any law or
your Washington Corporation's Articles of Incorporation.

We can create customized initial bylaws for your Washington Corporation that are based on your specific business requirements.
As your company grows over time, you may amend your bylaws as necessary.

A Washington Good Standing Certficate is proof of the existence of your new Washington Corporation.
The Certificate is issued by the Washington Secretary of State and is proof that your WA Corporation is not behind on any
of its Washington Secretary of State Corporate obligations.

A Washington Good Standing Certificate is often required for loans, to apply for business licenses, or for tax or other business purposes
in the state of Washington or in any other state.

We can get your Washington Good Standing Certificate immediately after the Washington Secretary of State has approved your Articles of Incorporation.

An FEIN is like a Social Security Number for your Washington Corporation.
We can get your FEIN on the same day that your Articles of Incorporation are approved by the Washington Secretary of State.

You can get your FEIN before your articles are approved by the Washington Secretary of State but it's a good idea to wait until
after approval.
Your filing may be rejected or the Corporation name that you want may not be approved.
Changing information on an FEIN filing is not a trivial exercise with the IRS.

While you're not required to have a Corporation Kit and Seal for your new Washington Corporation they do come in handy.
The WA Corporation Kit consists of a beautiful customized binder, stock certificates, a stock ledger
and your custom Corporation Seal.

The Corporation Seal is used to emboss important company documents, such as stock certificates.
The binder also includes dividers so you can use it for all of your Washington Corporation record keeping.

Most new Washington Corporations are required to get some kind of state, regional or local permits or business licenses.
The task to figure out exactly what you need can be daunting.

We can determine exactly which forms you need to fill out, fill them out for you and file the forms with the appropriate government agency
where possible.

Processing fees

$125.00

Washington incorporation fees

$200.00

Optional products and services

$0.00

Total cost

$325.00

OUR ADVANTAGE

We start processing your Washington Corporation order as soon as it arrives.

We get your documents to the Washington Secretary of State in the quickest possible way.
If we receive your order before noon Washington time we will submit your Washington Corporation application to the Secretary of State on the same day we receive it.

We guarantee our work. If you're not satisfied with our Washington Incorporation services we will refund 100% of your processing fees.

We've been helping businesses Incorporate in Washington for over ten years. Our A+ BBB rating speaks for itself!